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Aims: This study examined the nature and characteristics of Black women's interactions with medical providers during childbirth when accompanied by a perinatal support professional (PSP; similar to a doula). Design: The design was qualitative, and a phenomenological approach was employed to examine the meaning of women's experiences. Methods: We conducted in‐depth interviews with 25 Black women enrolled in a perinatal support program in Cleveland, Ohio, in late 2017 and early 2018, exploring their interactions with medical providers, the meaning of their experiences, and the roles their PSPs played. Results: Clients broadly categorized experiences as positive or negative. When medical providers respected them, their birth plans and/or collaborated with PSPs, women reported more positive experiences. They associated negative experiences with providers having their own timelines and agendas, and women perceiving their needs were unheard and/or disrespected. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the need for medical providers to be patient‐centred, set aside assumptions, treat their patients as experts, value women's knowledge and voice, and treat patients and their supports as part of the team. Impact: Findings support the importance of having a knowledgeable but non‐medical support person present during birth. We discuss implications for how empowerment may be a tool to achieving better birth outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to conduct an exploratory qualitative study of the impact of foreclosure on health. Twenty-nine interviews were conducted with people who had children under the age of 18 years at the time of the foreclosure. Interviews explored perspectives on the foreclosure experience, including factors that led to the foreclosure, the meaning(s) the foreclosure has had for them, and the health care impact. Thematic analyses identified themes underlying families' descriptions of their experiences. Participant families described the stress of losing a home and how that had contributed to a number of psychological and physiological ailments. Psychological effects included high levels of perceived stress, anxiety, grief, and a sense of shame and failure, while physiological effects were often described as either stress-induced or existing issues worsened by stress. These findings are discussed with regard to their implications for improving services and policies offered to families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ways in which teenagers understand their social environments can be important for social service providers to understand. A cognitive anthropological approach grounded in cultural consensus theory was used to investigate teenagers and social and health service providers in a pilot study in East Cleveland, Ohio (N = 28). The qualitative method of free listing was used to determine the cultural models of popularity, stress, social support, and causes of violence. Teens were also surveyed to examine their levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Consensus was tested and not found in the domains. Teens were found to have above-average rates of stress and anxiety. A greater understanding of the sources of stress and causes of violence is described, along with the clinical, policy, and research implications of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]